Historical Happenings
by RhiannonWolf
Summary: Margaret is a young girl living in the year 1773. When she becomes involved with the upcoming war, her life is never the same...  On hiatus for now! Sorry!


Hi there! This is my first Liberty's Kids fic, so be kind! Sadly, I do not own anything in here except for my character Margaret.

The Boston Tea Party

I was creeping around Boston. I had no idea where I was headed, but I knew that I was in big trouble. BIG trouble. It was the night of the Boston Tea Party, and I had helped. But I had also been seen. I remembered the blond boy I had seen on board. He looked like me! _'I wonder who he was...?' _Then I could hear the footfalls of my pursuer. Oh, I forgot to mention that I was being chased by a damn British soldier. I clutched the pistol in my hand, praying I wouldn't have to use it. But things never really did work out for me. I ran into an alley, not seeing where I was going. By the time I realized where I was, it was too late to run out. I was cornered. I faced the oncoming soldier.

"Well now little miss." he said. "Little girls shouldn't be out this late. It's past curfew."  
"I don't have a curfew." I growled. He laughed.

"A sense of humor! But I'm afraid that I'll have to teach you a lesson about staying out late." He came closer.

I held up the gun. "Come any closer and I'll shoot!"

He only laughed again. "Little girls shouldn't play with guns."

"It's cocked!" I warned. I was shaking. "I swear I'll shoot! I'm not scared!"

"You look scared." he chuckled. He came closer. He was less than three feet away when I pulled the trigger. It was certainly a mess. Because of the short distance, I got his blood spattered on my dress and face. It was flecked in my hair as well. He fell to the ground with a blank expression, blood gushing from the point of entry, right above his heart. _'What a cold heart it must have been. But now I'm seriously in trouble! I just murdered a British officer!' _I then ran out of the alley, with all the speed I could possibly muster from the chase before. But I never was much of a runner and I quickly ran out of energy. I was panting when I heard more footsteps. I paled. I was dead meat. I started running again. As I rounded a corner, I slammed into someone, knocking both of us down. I stammered and apology as I tried to get up, but I found that I had hurt my ankle. I was near tears now. No doubt this was a British officer, and he would arrest me, and then I'd be shot..._'Why hasn't he done anything?' _I looked up to see a boy about my age with blond hair, and blue eyes. He was wearing a brown overcoat and green breeches. _'The boy on the ship!' _

He noticed that I was covered in blood. "Are you okay? What happened?"

I ignored his questions. "If you don't run now, the British will catch you! It's past curfew!" I tried to get up and run, but my ankle was clearly swollen by now, and I let out a little cry and fell down again. The boy helped me up.

"And leave you here to face those soldiers alone? You're crazy!"

I looked up at this boy in amazement. He was so kind, yet he didn't even know me. _'I bet he would leave now if he knew what I just did.' _

I shook my head. "You don't understand..."

"I don't really care, but you're hurt and obviously in trouble." he answered. I was crying now. "Come on. I know some place safe." he helped me limp slowly away. I hung on to him for dear life as we slowly came to a barn. He slipped in and then quietly closed the door.

"James? Is that you? Where have you been?" came a girl's voice. I shrank behind him.

"Sarah! Keep your voice down!" James retorted. The girl came into the light. She wore a light blue dress with dark blue trim. She had red hair pulled into a ponytail and piercing green eyes. When she saw my tear-streaked, blood spattered face, she gasped and her hand flew to her mouth.

"James! Who-what-?"

"Calm down Sarah." James tried to reassure her. "She...was involved in a little accident." He turned to me. "By the way, what's your name? I'm James Hiller, and this is Sarah Phillips."

"M-my name is...M-Margaret."

"What happened?" Sarah said, obviously trying to sound more caring than before. I immediately hid the pistol in the folds of my skirt. "I...don't really want to talk about it."

"Alright. Well, we'd better get you a new dress. You look very suspicious in those clothes." Sarah led me to what was a little, closed off room and retrieved a dress for me. It was orange, my favorite color! I put it on and then washed my face and hair, ridding myself of the awful blood. When I was done, I went to sleep on the hay in the barn. This was the first time I had felt safe in a long time.

When I awoke the next morning, there were voices coming from the other side of the barn. I crept over to the edge of the hay loft to see. There was James, Sarah, a little boy I didn't know and a large African American man.

"So what happened again?" the man asked. James sighed.

"I told you Moses. I was out because I heard a gunshot, and then this girl ran me over. I think she had something to do with it."

"How do you know?" Moses asked.

"She was covered in blood. Sarah can back me up on that."

Sarah nodded. "It's true Moses. It was on her dress, her face, in her hair, everywhere."

Moses looked concerned. "She wasn't hurt was she?"

"It seemed as though she hurt her ankle when she ran into me." James said. "But other than that, I don't think so."

"Did you learn her name?" the little boy asked. He had a very strong French accent.

"She said her name was Margaret."

Just then, another African American came through a door. This time, it was a woman.

"There are some soldiers coming in, and they claim that they're here to search for someone."

I stifled a gasp. _'Me. They're coming for me! It's all my fault! If James and Sarah are caught hiding me here, then they'll be in trouble! All because of me!' _I felt like I was going to cry, but I held the tears back. I had to be strong. I stayed huddled in the dark corner as I heard the soldiers storm in. I hardly dared to breathe. I stayed hidden for a few minutes and then James came to get me.

"Come here," he said, offering his hand. "you'll be safer in a different room." I took his hand and he led me down from the hayloft and into a kitchen. The African man stayed in the barn, but Sarah, the woman and the little boy were in there.

"Miss Wheatley, Henri, this is Margaret." James said.

"Please call me Phyllis." the woman said. Henri beamed at me.  
"My name is Henri! I'm French!"

"I just said that." James grumbled.

"You didn't say that I was French." Henri argued.

Sarah stepped in. "Alright you two, no fighting." I spoke up.

"Why are there British soldiers in the barn?" I asked quietly.

"It's called Quartering." Phyllis explained. "A soldier knocks on our door, day or night and you have to give them room and board. We have five more upstairs."

I paled. "Huh?" She saw my face and smiled gently. "Don't worry. You're safe here."

Sarah came and put her arm around my shoulder. "We won't let anyone harm you Margaret."

I smiled. "Thank you." I turned to Phyllis. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

I helped Phyllis in the kitchen while James and Sarah started arguing. Then James turned to Phyllis.

"Is there anywhere I can print? I have a story here."

Sarah saw my confused face and said, "James _thinks _he's a journalist."

"I _am_ a journalist." James retorted. Phyllis handed him a key.

"Mr. Maloney prints my poetry. I can use his print shop anytime I need to."

MALONEY'S PRINT SHOP

James knocked on the door. "Mr. Maloney? We're friends of Phyllis Wheatley."

No one answered. "He must not be here." Sarah said.

"Uh, James." I said. "It's Sunday."

"The Lord's Day." Henri added. James flipped the key in his hand.

"Well, the Lord helps those who help themselves." he said as he unlocked the door. He held it open for Sarah and myself. "Come on, we don't have much time."

I helped Henri with the papers. As I was doing so, I overheard Sarah and James talking.

"James," Sarah asked. "are you really an orphan? I heard you tell the soldiers earlier."

"...It's true. I was only a tiny baby when it happened. Mother and Father didn't have one of Dr. Franklin's newfangled lightening rods. Our house was struck during a storm and burst into flames. It burned to the ground. I was lucky. A neighbor pulled me out in the nick of time. Dr. Franklin's lightening rods have saved so many lives. When I was old enough, I sought him out and became an apprentice. I've been at the Gazette ever since."

I was literately frozen. _'…...I have memories just like that. Why? Could it be...are James and I...related? But...for us to have the same memories, he'd have to be...is James really...could he be...my brother?' _

"I'm sorry about complaining about some silly locket, when you've lost so much more." Sarah said.

"That locket meant a lot huh." James commented.

"Yes, it did. My father gave it to me right before he left for the Ohio territory. When I wore it, I felt as though he was with me."

James showed her his hand. There was a gold ring on it. "You see this?"

"It's beautiful." Sarah said.

"It's my mother's ring." James said. "So you see, I know how you feel about the locket."

"James, I'm done." Henri announced, standing next to a pile of papers about his height.

"Great job Henri! Now let's go and put them up." he said as he went to grab a pile.

"Do you really have to go?" Sarah asked. "You could get caught."

"Yes, I have to." James said. He and Henri walked out the door and then Sarah turned to me.

"Margaret, what happened?" she asked. "How did you get all that blood on yourself?"

I looked down at the floor. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Margaret. Please tell me." Sarah said softly. "I'm only trying to help."

"Sarah," I said hesitantly. I wasn't sure how to say this.

"What is it?"

"...I think that James and I are...related some how."

Sarah looked shocked. "What? How can you tell?"

"He looks just like me," I said, beginning to pace the floor. "and I have similar memories about what he was telling you earlier. About being an orphan. I think he may be my brother." I said, still pacing.

"How old are you?" Sarah asked.

"I'm 14. Why?" I was still pacing.

"I think it's possible that you could be related. You might even be twins. But we don't have any proof of it." Sarah deducted. "Where are you from?"

"...Philadelphia." I said.

Sarah's eyes widened a bit. "That's where James is from."

"I think that this is too much of a coincidence." I said. "James must be my brother."

"He must be your twin." Sarah said. Then I looked out the window.

"Uh, is it just me or are there two barrels rolling down the hill?" I asked, pointing out the window to two rolling objects. They crashed into the side of the shop. Sarah and I looked at each other and said together, "James." We rushed out the door in time to hear Henri ask, "Which one of you is James?"

"What have you done now?" Sarah asked James. Then Moses and Phyllis showed up.

"The axle's fixed, let's go." Moses said.

"Too late!" Phyllis cried, pointing to a bunch of British soldiers that were heading our way. I paled a considerable amount.

"Everybody inside!" Sarah commanded, holding the door open for all of us to go in. When we were all safely inside, she closed the door.

"What will we do?" Henri asked. He got his answer very soon. The soldiers opened the door forcefully and stormed in. I was terrified. I was going to be found!

"So I was riding along when I see lights on in a print shop on a Sunday." the commander began, walking around. "Do you know what I said to myself?"

"No." James answered rudely. The commander shot him a glare and then his gaze settled on me. I knew I looked suspicious, but I couldn't help it!

"I thought that there might be someone in here who was hiding." Now he was looking directly at me. "Or putting up these posters." he said, showing one of the posters that James and Henri had put up. He turned to his soldiers. "I want this place searched! If so much as one poster is found, it's jail for the lot of you." Then he saw Sarah. "You there."

"Me sir?" she asked.

"What's your name?"

"Sarah Phillips sir."

"Phillips? I served under a Major Phillips in the war." the commander said.

"Major Phillips is my father sir." Sarah replied.

"Then you're an Englishwoman, am I right? Your father would expect you to tell the truth to an officer of His Majesty's Army."

"The truth about what sir?"

"One of my officers was shot tonight. I believe that the person is in this room." he said.

_'I'm dead.' _I paled till I was white as a sheet.

"I...I...I..."

"Spill it girl." the commander said. Then Sarah spotted something under the stove. I realized what it was. _A poster! _

"Oh where are my manners?" Sarah cried. She walked briskly over to the stove and tossed the paper in. "You must be half frozen after riding tonight. I'll just put some tea on the Franklin Stove. Now what was that you said? Something about looking for someone?"

One of the soldiers came up to the commander and said, "The place's clean captain. No sign of them signs."

He returned his attention to me. "Well I am rather curious about this other girl here. And what is your name?"

I didn't answer. I couldn't. I was frozen in fear. He reached forward and I yelped, jumping behind James.

"Let's go men." the commander said in annoyance. "That girl doesn't have enough guts to pick up a gun, much less shoot one. And those rascals hanging the posters are getting away while we're here wasting our time with children and tea." Then they left. I felt so relieved I thought I would faint.

"Are you okay?" James asked me. "You don't look well."

"I'll be fine." I said.

"Well, let's all get out to the wagon." Moses said. James looked at me again.

"Margaret, do you want to come with us?" he asked. I blinked.

"Are you sure? After all the trouble I've caused? I don't want you guys to get in trouble because of me."

"But we're always in trouble." Henri said.

"Do you even have a place to go?" James asked. I shook my head.

"Not really."

"Then it's settled, you're coming with us." James said, steering me out the door. I smiled.

"Thanks." We all got in the wagon and I soon fell asleep, my head resting on James' shoulder.

THIRD PERSON P.O.V

James and Sarah were quiet most of the ride. Henri was sleeping next to Sarah, and Margaret had fallen asleep on James. Then Sarah looked at James.

"James, Margaret and I had a talk in the print shop after you went out." she said.

He looked confused. "About what?"

Sarah sighed. "She seems to believe that you two could be related."

"Related?"

"I believe that you could be twins. But what I really want to know...what do you think?"

James thought for a moment. "She does look like me. I guess it's possible."

"And she told me that she has the same memories of when you told me." Sarah added. "But...I also think that she was the one who that captain was looking for."

"Are you suggesting that Margaret is the one killed that soldier?" James asked almost angrily.

"She had blood all over her!" Sarah argued.

"Maybe she was near the place of the shooting!" James countered. "She couldn't have done it! Did you see her in there? When he reached for her she jumped a mile in the air! I was wondering if there was any blood left in her face she was so white."

"James, there was only one way that blood could have gotten all over her."

"I still think she didn't do it."

"You're wrong." Margaret whispered.

MY P.O.V

"What?" James cried.

"Keep your voices down back there!" Moses said from the front.

"Sorry Moses." James said. Then he returned his gaze to me. "You were saying?"

"Sarah's right. I shot him. I shot the soldier." I said. Tears were running down my face. "He threatened me. I was scared. It all happened so fast I couldn't stop myself." I clenched the pistol within the folds of my skirt. "I'm so sorry."

"I just have one question." James asked. I nodded without looking at him.

"If you really are my sister, then where have you been all these years?"

I looked up at him in surprise. He was smiling at me.

"Well?" he asked.

"At-at sea." I said. "It's a long story."

"We've got time." James said, putting his arms behind his head. "You can tell us when we get to the print shop."

I hugged my knees. "Thanks. For everything."

"I'll write to Doctor Franklin and ask him if you can stay." James said. "I'm sure he'll say yes. If he let Henri stay, he'll let you."

"Especially after he hears that you're brother and sister." Sarah said. "Are you both really sure?"

"Even if we're not, I think we should adopt each other as brother and sister." James said, putting an arm around me. "How 'bout it sis?"

"James."

He laughed. "Okay. Sorry."

I sighed and leaned my head back. I was leaving Boston. And the threat that I had encountered. I was heading for a new life, and I found out I had a twin brother. I was soon asleep once more as I headed with my new friends towards my new home.

Yay! How did you guys like this? I've known this show since I was in first grade, and I've loved it ever since! Read&Review!


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